Aborbent product with fastening arrangements

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an absorbent product, such as a sanitary towel, a panty liner or an incontinence pad, comprising a liquid-permeable surface layer ( 102 ), a liquid-impermeable surface layer ( 103 ), and an absorption body ( 104 ) arranged between the two surface layers ( 102, 103 ). The product also has a front portion ( 109 ) and a rear portion ( 110 ), and fastening arrangements ( 113   a   , 113   b   , 113   c ) comprising an adhesive attachment-means zone ( 120   a   , 120   b   , 120   c ) to be attached to the body of a wearer.  
     The invention is characterized in that the product is essentially triangular in shape and in that two fastening arrangements ( 113   a   , 113   b ) are arranged on the front portion ( 109 ) of the product and one fastening arrangement ( 113   c ) is arranged on the rear portion ( 110 ) of the product, said fastening arrangements ( 113   a   , 113   b   , 113   c ) each comprising a part which extends in the form of a strip beyond the periphery of the product and bears the adhesive attachment-means zone ( 120   a   , 120   b   , 120   c ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to an absorbent product, such as a sanitarytowel, a panty liner or an incontinence pad, having a longitudinaldirection and a transverse direction and comprising a liquid-permeablesurface layer, a liquid-impermeable surface layer, and an absorptionbody arranged between the two surface layers, the liquid-permeablesurface layer being intended to face the body of a wearer during use,and the product also having two side edges in its longitudinaldirection, a front edge, a rear edge, a front portion and a rearportion, the product also comprising fastening arrangements comprisingan adhesive attachment-means zone to be attached to the body of awearer.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] The production of absorbent products such as incontinence pads,sanitary towels, panty liners or the like has been known for a longtime. Such absorbent products are placed in the crotch region of awearer and absorb discharged bodily fluid. Sanitary towels, panty linersand incontinence pads for slightly incontinent people are usuallyrelatively small and can be accommodated in a pair of ordinary briefs.In order for the absorbent product to stay safely in position duringuse, it is usual to provide the product with some type of fasteningarrangement for fastening the product in the briefs. In this connection,the most common type of fastening arrangement is adhesive which is usedto attach the product in the briefs.

[0003] However, one problem with absorbent products provided withfastening arrangements which are attached in the underwear, is that theabsorbent product tends to move together with the briefs during use.This means that the product may move laterally or that gaps arisebetween the product and the body of the wearer. The inadequate contactbetween the body of the wearer and the product can lead to liquidleaking out at the side of the product, or to liquid running on thesurface of the product out over the edges of the product. Moreover, anabsorbent product which moves in relation to the body of the wearerduring use can give rise to an uncomfortable and unreliable feeling.

[0004] To solve these problems, it has been proposed that the absorbentproduct be provided with glued surfaces which are attached to the body.In comparison with products which are attached in the briefs, such anabsorbent product has a number of advantages. For example, the absorbentproduct is located in the same position in relation to the bodythroughout the entire period of use. As a result, it is possible toobtain a controlled and well-defined target area for the bodily fluiddischarged. This means that the absorbent product can be given a designin which the absorbent material is used optimally. By virtue of the factthat the product stays still during use and is not loose, and does nototherwise move in relation to the body of the wearer, a product attachedto the body is more leakproof than a product which is attached in thebriefs. Furthermore, the product can be worn virtually imperceptiblyunder normal briefs and, if so desired, the product can be worn withoutbriefs.

[0005] Specification U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,952 describes a sanitary towelwith narrowing end portions which are adjustably connected to twoidentical self-adhesive pieces intended to be attached to the body of awearer. The sanitary towel is applied to the wearer by the self-adhesivepieces being attached to the body just above the genital region and,respectively, above the cleft between the buttocks.

[0006] A problem with a product according to U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,952 isthat it can feel unstable to wear as a result of the way theself-adhesive pieces are arranged on the sanitary towel. By virtue ofthe fact that the product is attached to the body at only two attachmentpoints, there is a risk that the product will be unstable or will beturned over to the side as a result of the bodily movements of thewearer. Moreover, there is a risk that the self-adhesive pieces may comeaway from the body as they are arranged in such a manner on the sanitarytowel that they are subjected to point loading during use of thesanitary towel. Another problem associated with absorbent productsprovided with fastening arrangements which are attached to the body isthat they can cause discomfort for the wearer as there is a risk that afastening arrangement may get caught in the gential hair and that thefastening arranements may chafe against the skin.

[0007] An absorbent product attached to the body is therefore desirable,in which the fastening arrangements are designed and arranged on theproduct in such a manner that the problems referred to above areeliminated.

[0008] Another problem with absorbent products provided with fasteningarrangements which are attached to the body is that the side edges ofthe product may be folded in over the liquid-receiving region duringuse. The result of this is that the liquid-impermeable surface layer isexposed to the wearer, which leads to the absorption capacity of theproduct being reduced. Moreover, folded-in side edges lead to anincreased risk of edge leakage. Furthermore, there is a risk that theproduct is subjected to forces by the muscles in the groin area and thethighs, so that it is pressed together. The result of this is that therisk of edge leakage increases and the product may feel uncomfortable towear.

[0009] An absorbent product attached to the body is therefore desirable,which is designed in such a manner that it is not deformed during use,such as being pressed together or its side edges being folded in overthe liquid-receiving region.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0010] By means of the present invention, an absorbent product has beenproduced, which is intended to be attached to the body of a wearer andessentially eliminates the problems referred to above.

[0011] A product of the type indicated in the introduction madeaccording to the invention is characterized mainly in that the productis essentially triangular in shape and in that two fasteningarrangements are arranged on the front portion of the product and onefastening arrangement is arranged on the rear portion of the product,said fastening arrangements each comprising a part which extends in theform of a strip beyond the periphery of the product and bears theadhesive attachment-means zone.

[0012] The fastening arrangements on the front portion are suitablyarranged in the regions where the side edges of the product merge withthe front edge of the product.

[0013] According to one embodiment of the invention, the fasteningarrangements are arranged so that they can be seen as a continuation ofthe side edges of the product and they advantageously have a curvedshape. In such an embodiment, the fastening arrangements on the frontportion of the product extend away from the remainder of the productboth in the longitudinal direction of the product and in its transversedirection.

[0014] The front fastening arrangements are attached to the groins ofthe wearer. The fastening arrangement arranged on the rear portion isattached to the body of a wearer directly above the buttock cleft.

[0015] The advantage of arranging two fastening arrangements on thefront portion of the product and one fastening arrangement on the rearportion of the product according to the present invention is that theproduct is stabilized in relation to the wearer by virtue of the factthat the product is held extended and stretched. The risk of the productbeing unstable or being turned over to the side which is the risk whenonly two fastening arrangements are arranged on the short sides of theproduct in line with the longitudinal centre line of the product, isthus reduced.

[0016] Moreover, by arranging the fastening arrangements in accordancewith the present invention, the force which is developed in a body inmotion will not result in the fastening arrangements being subjected topoint loading, which means that the risk of the product beingover-stressed or even coming away from the wearer is on the wholeeliminated.

[0017] Another advantage of the present invention is that the risk thatthe fastening arrangements arranged on the front portion of the productwill get caught in the genital hair is small as these have a curvedshape extending away from the centre line of the product, which meansthat the fastening arrangements are attached to the groins of thewearer, which are in most cases hairless.

[0018] An absorbent product according to the present invention suitablyhas side edges which are curved in the direction in towards the centreline extending in the longitudinal direction of the product.Furthermore, the product according to the present invention has a widthratio in the transverse direction between the front portion of theproduct and the rear portion of the product which is 2:1-4:1, the rearportion of the product having, according to the present invention, awidth which does not exceed 40 mm.

[0019] A further advantage of a product according to the presentinvention is that it can be said to have characteristics similar tothose of a thong, that is to say that the product fits snugly againstthe body and stays still. This advantage is achieved with the presentinvention by virtue of the fact that the shape of the product and thefastening arrangements arranged on the product follow essentially thesame contours as a thong. The product is thus leakproof, which is agreat advantage if the product is a towel for night use. Moreover, aproduct according to the present invention is completely inconspicuousand can be worn imperceptibly even under very tight-fitting clothing.

[0020] A product according to the present invention is designed in sucha manner that it is not pressed together between the thighs of thewearer during use. As a result, the risk of leakage out past the sideedges is reduced. According to the present invention, moreover, theavailable absorption area of the product is not affected as there is norisk of the product being pressed together or that the side edges of theproduct will be folded in over the absorption area as a result of beingpressed together by the thighs of the wearer or as a result of bodilymovements of the wearer.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the invention, the fasteningarrangements are fully or partly elastic. This, together with the factthat the fastening arrangements arranged on the product can be arrangedseparately on the product or constitute projecting portions of one orboth surface layers, means that it is possible to custom-make theproduct for different use situations.

[0022] The surface layers of a product of the type indicated in theintroduction made according to the invention do not of course have to beseparate material layers, but these layers can be integral with theabsorption body. For example, the absorption body can consist of afoamed material having a liquid-impermeable skin on one of its surfaces.Correspondingly, the liquid-permeable surface layer can consist of anintegrated surface on the absorption body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0023] The invention will be described in greater detail below withreference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the appended drawings,in which:

[0024]FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a sanitary towel according to theinvention, seen from the side which is intended to face the wearerduring use of the sanitary towel,

[0025]FIG. 2 shows a section along the line II-II through the sanitarytowel and a fastening arrangement in FIG. 1,

[0026]FIG. 3 shows a plan view of a sanitary towel according to anembodiment of the invention seen from the side which is intended to facethe wearer during use of the sanitary towel,

[0027]FIG. 4a shows a section along the line IV-IV through the sanitarytowel and a fastening arrangement in FIG. 3,

[0028]FIG. 4b shows a section along the line IV-IV through the sanitarytowel and a fastening arrangement, showing an alternative embodiment ofthe sanitary towel in FIG. 3,

[0029]FIG. 5 shows a plan view of a sanitary towel according to anembodiment of the invention seen from the side which is intended to facethe wearer during use of the sanitary towel,

[0030]FIG. 6 shows a plan view of a sanitary towel according to anembodiment of the invention seen from the side which is intended to facethe wearer during use of the sanitary towel, and

[0031]FIG. 7 shows a plan view of a sanitary towel according to anembodiment of the invention seen from the side which is intended to facethe wearer during use of the sanitary towel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0032]FIGS. 1 and 2 show a sanitary towel 101 which is essentiallytriangular in shape with a longitudinal direction and a transversedirection. The sanitary towel 101 comprises a liquid-permeable surfacelayer 102 arranged on that side of the sanitary towel 101 which isintended to face a wearer during use, a liquid-impermeable surface layer103 arranged on that side of the sanitary towel 101 which is intended toface away from the wearer during use, and an absorption body 104enclosed between the two surface layers 102, 103. The sanitary towel 101can be plane or profiled and may also comprise shaping means (not shownin FIGS. 1 and 2). The sanitary towel 101 also has two side edges 105,106, two short sides which constitute the front edge 107 and,respectively, the rear edge 108 of the sanitary towel 101, a frontportion 109 and a rear portion 110, the rear portion 110 beingconsiderably narrower than the front portion 109. The sanitary towel 101also has a centre line 111 extending in the longitudinal direction. Alongitudinal centre line 111 means a line which extends in thelongitudinal direction of the sanitary towel 101 and is arrangedequidistantly from the side edges 105, 106 of the sanitary towel 101.The side edges 105, 106, which extend essentially in the longitudinaldirection of the sanitary towel 101, have a curvature arranged in such amanner that the side edges curve in towards the longitudinal centre line111 of the sanitary towel. In the rear portion 110, the side edges 105,106 run together in the rounded rear edge 108. In the front portion 109,the side edges 105, 106 run together in the essentially curved frontedge 107. The sanitary towel also has a centre line 112 extending in thetransverse direction. A transverse centre line 112 means a line whichextends in the transverse direction of the sanitary towel 101 and isarranged equidistantly from the edges 107, 108 of the sanitary towel101.

[0033] In order that the sanitary towel 101 will not extend so farbackwards during use that it shows clearly when it is worn together witha thong or under tight-fitting clothing, the rear portion 110 of thesanitary towel 101 should suitably have a length of between 30 mm and 90mm. The front portion 109 should suitably have a length of from 60-170mm. The overall length of the product is suitably 140-260 mm andpreferably not greater than 200 mm so as also to fit in thongs withperforated front pieces. The transition between the rear portion 110 andthe front portion 109 does of course not take place at a distinctboundary. Furthermore, the rear portion 110 and the front portion 109 donot necessarily divide the sanitary towel 101 into two parts of equallength.

[0034] The sanitary towel 101 also comprises three fasteningarrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 c intended to be attached to the body ofthe wearer. The fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 c consist ofthree strips of material and each have a front strip-shaped part 114 a,114 b, 114 c and a rear part 115 a, 115 b, 115 c. In this connection,the front part 114 a, 114 b, 114 c means that part of the fasteningarrangement 113 a, 113 b, 113 c which extends from the periphery of thesanitary towel 101 and away from the remainder of the sanitary towel101. Consequently, the rear part 115 a, 115 b, 115 c means that part ofthe fastening arrangement 113 a, 113 b, 113 c which is arranged on thesanitary towel 101. Moreover, the fastening arrangement 113 a, 113 b,113 c has two short sides 116 a, 116 b, 116 c; 117 a, 117 b, 117 c andtwo long sides 118 a, 118 b, 118 c; 119 a, 119 b, 119 c. The fasteningarrangement 113 a, 113 b, 113 c comprises an attachment-means zone 120a, 120 b, 120 c which is arranged on that side of the fasteningarrangement 113 a, 113 b, 113 c which will face the body of the wearerduring use. The attachment means can consist of pressure-sensitive glueor other means known to the person skilled in the art. Theattachment-means zone 120 a, 120 b, 120 c is arranged on the front part114 a, 114 b, 114 c at a distance from the sides 116 a, 116 b, 116 c;118 a, 118 b, 118 c; 119 a, 119 b, 119 c of the fastening arrangement113 a, 113 b, 113 c. Such positioning of the attachment means makes iteasier to remove the fastening arrangement 113 a, 113 b, 113 c from thebody as it is possible in this way to take hold of a region which isfree of attachment means. The size of the attachment-means zone 120 a,120 b, 120 c should be adapted so that adequately secure fastening isobtained without excessive consumption of attachment means. It issuitable, however, if the width and length of the attachment-means zone120 a, 120 b, 120 c do not exceed 25 mm.

[0035] Two of the fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b are arranged onthe front portion 109 of the sanitary towel 101, in the region where theside edges 105, 106 merge with the front edge 107. As can be seen fromFIG. 1, the fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b have an essentiallycurved shape. It can also be seen from the figure that the fasteningarrangements 113 a, 113 b are arranged in such a manner that they willextend in continuation of the essentially curved side edges 105, 106 andextend essentially away from the remainder of the sanitary towel 101.

[0036] The fastening arrangement 113 a, 113 b should suitably have amaximum width of 30 mm, preferably 10-20 mm, and its front part 114 a,114 b should suitably have a length of at least 20 mm.

[0037] By virtue of the fact that the fastening arrangements 113 a, 113b are curved, the risk is reduced of these being crumpled duringfastening to the body in the region of the groins and causing discomfortdue to chafing. With such a design, the risk of the fasteningarrangements 113 a, 113 b being crumpled during use is also reduced.

[0038] The fastening arrangement 113 c arranged on the rear edge 108 ofthe sanitary towel 101 extends in imaginary continuation of thelongitudinal centre line 111 away from the remainder of the sanitarytowel 101, see FIG. 1. The fastening arrangement 113 c is arrangedequidistantly from the side edges 105, 106. As can be seen from FIG. 1,the fastening arrangement 113 c is rectangular in shape with a maximumwidth of 30 mm, preferably 15-25 mm. The front part 114 c of thefastening arrangement 113 c should suitably have a length of at least 50mm.

[0039] In order to achieve secure and comfortable fastening of the towel101, it is advantageous if the length l marked in FIG. 1 is 470±50 mm.The length of the front strip-shaped part 115 a, 115 b, 115 c of thefastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 c should therefore bedimensioned according to the length of the product.

[0040] It is possible to design the front part 114 c of the fasteningarrangement 113 c, in a region which includes the short side 116 c, sothat it ends in the shape of, for example, an inverted equilateraltriangle or drop (not shown in the figure). In this connection, theshort side 116 c of the fastening arrangement 113 c will constitute thebase of the triangle or the rounded end of the drop. The “pointed” endsof the triangle and the drop are cut off in such a manner that the widthof the remaining part of the “point” corresponds to the width of theremaining front part 114 c. The fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 barranged on the front edge 107 can of course also be designed in asimilar manner. Such shapes can be suitable when a larger attachmentarea is desired on account of the size of the product. It can also besuitable when the sanitary towel is used together with a thong becausemodern thongs have a fabric portion which narrows from the rear banddown towards the buttock cleft and, directly above the buttock cleft,takes the form of a string.

[0041] In order to obtain secure fastening to the body with the shapes(not shown) described above, one or more attachment-means zones can bearranged in a suitable manner. However, the attachment-means zonesshould be arranged at a distance from the periphery of the fasteningarrangement in a similar manner to that described in connection withFIG. 1.

[0042] It is of course also possible, for purely aesthetic reasons, todesign the end of the front part 114 a, 114 b, 114 c as a flower or thelike.

[0043] The fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 c can consist ofnon-woven material, or a different type of textile material, which maybe knitted, woven, braided or crocheted. Plastic material can also beused. For reasons of comfort, however, the latter is less preferable. Itis also possible to design the fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113c so that they are entirely or partly elastic. In this connection,elastic means such as, for example, threads or bands can be arrangedalong the entire fastening arrangement 113 a, 113 b, 113 c or on partsthereof. Alternatively, the fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 ccan consist entirely or partly of elastic material, for example elasticnon-woven.

[0044]FIG. 2 shows a section through the sanitary towel 101 and thefastening arrangement 113 c along the line II-II. As can be seen fromFIG. 2, the liquid-permeable surface layer 102 is essentially the sameshape as the absorption body 104. The liquid-impermeable surface layer103 is also shaped like the absorption body 104. The liquid-permeablesurface layer 102, the liquid-impermeable surface layer 103 and theabsorption body 104 are connected to one another in a conventionalmanner, for example connected at a join along the edges 105, 106, 107,108 of the sanitary towel by gluing or by welding using ultrasound.

[0045] The liquid-permeable surface layer 102 is of conventional typeand can therefore consist of any liquid-permeable material suitable forthe purpose. Examples of such material are various types of thinnon-woven material, perforated plastic films, net material,liquid-permeable foam material or the like. The liquid-permeable surfacelayer 102 can be made from two or more different materials which can bearranged in different regions in order to provide different functions ofthe surface layer.

[0046] The liquid-blocking surface layer 103 suitably consists of, forexample, plastic film, hydrophobic non-woven or non-woven coated withresin or another liquid-impermeable material, or another materialsuitable for the purpose.

[0047] The absorption body 104 can be what is known as an airlaidcellulose body or be made from any suitable absorbent material.Superabsorbents are such a suitable absorption material because theavailable absorption space is small and superabsorbents have greatabsorption capacity per unit of weight or volume.

[0048] Other suitable absorbent materials for use in the absorption body104 are, for example, cellulose fluff pulp, absorbent bound fibrelayers, tissue layers, absorbent foam, peat or the like. The absorptionbody can also contain superabsorbent polymers, that is to say polymerswith the capacity to absorb several times their own weight of liquidwhile forming a liquid-containing gel. Superabsorbents are usually inthe form of particles, flakes, fibres, granules or the like. Thesuperabsorbent material can be used on its own or together with anotherabsorbent material.

[0049] It can also be seen from FIG. 2 that the fastening arrangement113 c is arranged on the liquid-impermeable surface layer 103 on theside which will face away from the wearer during use. FIG. 2 also showsthat the rear part 115 c of the fastening arrangement 113 c extendsalong the centre line 111 in towards the transverse centre line 112 ofthe sanitary towel 101. The rear part 115 c is suitably arranged on thesanitary towel 101 so that secure fixing is obtained. The fasteningarrangement 113 c and the liquid-impermeable surface layer 103 aresuitably connected to one another in a conventional manner, for exampleby gluing, sewing, or by welding using heat or ultrasound. The fasteningarrangements 113 a, 113 b are fixed to the liquid-impermeable surfacelayer 103 in a corresponding manner.

[0050] It is also possible to fix the fastening arrangements 113 a, 113b, 113 c on that side of the liquid-impermeable surface layer 103 whichfaces the wearer during use. Instead, it is of course possible to fixthe fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 c to the liquid-permeablesurface layer 102. This is to be seen as less advantageous, however,because such fastening would have a negative effect on theliquid-admission capacity of the sanitary towel 101. Moreover, if thefastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 c are fixed on that side of theliquid-permeable surface layer 102 which faces the wearer during use,there is a risk that the sanitary towel 101 may chafe against the skinof the wearer, which would result in the sanitary towel 101 not feelingcomfortable to wear. A solution to the problems which arise in the eventof the fastening arrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 c being fixed to theliquid-permeable surface layer 102 is for the rear part 115 a, 115 b,115 c to be designed in such a manner that it does not extend furtherinto the sanitary towel than the width of the join which connects thesurface layers 102, 103 and the absorption body 104 together. In theevent of narrow joins, however, this cannot be considered anadvantageous embodiment either, because secure fixing of the fasteningarrangements 113 a, 113 b, 113 c cannot always be guaranteed.

[0051]FIG. 3 shows a sanitary towel 301 according to an embodiment ofthe invention. The figure shows diagrammatically a plan view of thesanitary towel 301, seen from the side which is intended to face thewearer during use of the sanitary towel 301. In a similar manner to thesanitary towel 101 described in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sanitary towel 301comprises an absorption body 304 enclosed between a liquid-permeablesurface layer 302 and a liquid-impermeable surface layer 303. Thesurface layers 302, 303 are essentially the same shape as but have aslightly greater planar extent than the absorption body 304. The surfacelayers 302, 303 therefore extend a little way beyond the edges of theabsorption body 304 where they are joined together with one another in aconventional manner, for example by gluing, sewing or welding using heator ultrasound, and form covering edges 321, 322, 323, 324.

[0052] An alternative embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4awhich shows a section through the sanitary towel 301 and a fasteningarrangement 313 c along the line IV-IV. The fastening arrangement 313 c,arranged on the rear portion 310 of the sanitary towel, constitutes aprojecting portion of the covering edge 324, the portion being arrangedin imaginary continuation of the longitudinal centre line 311 andequidistantly from the side edges 305, 306. In this connection, thecovering edge 324 merges continuously with the sides 316 c, 318 c, 319 cof the fastening arrangement 313 c (see FIG. 3). In a similar manner tothe fastening arrangement 113 c described in connection with FIGS. 1 and2, the fastening arrangement 313 c comprises an attachment-means zone320 c which is arranged in a manner corresponding to that described inconnection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0053] It can also be seen from FIG. 3 that two fastening arrangements313 a, 313 b are arranged on the front portion 309 of the towel 301. Inthis connection, the fastening arrangements 313 a, 313 b constituteprojecting portions of the longitudinal covering edges 321, 322 in theregion between said covering edges 321, 322 and the covering edge 323.In this connection, the covering edges 321, 322, 323 merge continuouslywith the sides 316 a, 318 a, 319 a; 316 b, 318 b, 319 b of the fasteningarrangements 313 a, 313 b. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the fasteningarrangements 313 a, 313 b will extend in continuation of the essentiallycurved sides edges 305, 306 and extend essentially away from theremainder of the sanitary towel 301. An attachment-means zone 320 a, 320b is arranged on the fastening arrangement 313 a, 313 b in a mannercorresponding to that described in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0054] A further alternative embodiment of the invention is shown inFIG. 4b which shows a section through a sanitary towel 301′ and afastening arrangement 313 c′ along the line IV′-IV′. What distinguishesthe sanitary towel 301′ from that described in FIG. 4a is that thefastening arrangement 313 c′ constitutes a projecting portion of onlythe liquid-permeable surface layer 302. In a corresponding manner, thefastening arrangements 313 a′, 313 b′ constitute projecting portions ofonly the liquid-permeable surface layer 302. The attachment-means zones320 a′, 320 b′, 320 c′ are arranged on the fastening arrangements 313a′, 313 b′, 313 c′ in a manner corresponding to that described inconnection with FIG. 4a.

[0055] The embodiment shown in FIG. 4b is more advantageous than thatshown in FIG. 4a. This is because the fastening arrangement 313 c′ inFIG. 4b does not have a liquid-impermeable surface layer on the sidewhich faces away from the wearer during use. The risk of moistureforming on the skin of the wearer in the region where the fasteningarrangement 313 c′0 is applied, and thus the risk of the fasteningarrangement 313 c′ chafing against the skin, is reduced. It follows fromthis that an embodiment in which the fastening arrangements constituteprojecting portions of the liquid-impermeable surface layer (not shownin the figure) is a possible but less preferable embodiment.

[0056] If the fastening arrangements constitute projecting portions of asurface layer consisting of non-woven material, the fasteningarrangements can have a certain elasticity. This can be brought about byorienting the fibres in the surface layer in the same direction,preferably in the transverse direction of the product.

[0057] The embodiments described in FIGS. 3, 4a and 4 b are advantageousfrom the point of view of process engineering because the fasteningarrangements are cut out of the same piece of material as the surfacelayers. On the other hand, the embodiment described in connection withFIGS. 1 and 2 affords greater freedom of choice in terms of selectingthe material for the various fastening arrangements because they arefixed separately to one of the surface layers.

[0058] Another possible embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 5.FIG. 5 shows diagrammatically a plan view of a sanitary towel 501, seenfrom the side which is intended to face the wearer during use of thesanitary towel 501. The sanitary towel 501 can, for example, be of thetype shown in FIG. 1. What distinguishes the sanitary towel 501 fromthat shown in FIG. 1 is that the fastening arrangements 513 a, 513 barranged on the front portion 509 constitute projecting portions of atleast one surface layer 502, 503 in a similar manner to that describedin connection with FIGS. 3, 4a and 4 b. Moreover, the fasteningarrangement 513 c arranged on the rear portion 510, which is fixed in amanner corresponding to that described in connection with FIG. 1, isprovided with elastic means. By providing the fastening arrangement 513c with elastic means, a more flexible adaptation to the movements of thebody is obtained. The elastic means can consist of threads or bands.Alternatively, elastic non-woven can be used. The elastic means can ofcourse be arranged so that the fastening arrangement 513 c is onlypartly elastic (not shown in the figure). The attachment-means zones 520a, 520 b, 520 c are arranged on the fastening arrangements 513 a, 513 b,513 c in a manner corresponding to that described in connection withFIG. 4a.

[0059]FIG. 6 shows another possible embodiment of the invention. Thefigure shows diagrammatically a plan view of a sanitary towel 601, forexample of the type shown in FIG. 1, seen from the side which isintended to face the wearer during use of the sanitary towel 601. Whatdistinguishes the sanitary towel 601 from that shown in FIG. 1 is thatthe fastening arrangements 613 a, 613 b, 613 c constitute projectingportions of a separate piece 625 intended to be fixed to the sanitarytowel 601. The piece 625 is essentially shaped like the letter Y, thefastening arrangements 613 a, 613 b arranged on the front portion 609constituting the upper arms of the Y and the fastening arrangement 613 carranged on the rear portion 610 constituting the leg of the Y. Thepiece 625 is preferably fixed to the liquid-impermeable surface layer603. FIG. 6 shows a case in which the piece 625 is fixed to that side ofthe liquid-impermeable surface layer 603 which faces away from thewearer during use. The piece 625 and the liquid-blocking surface layer603 are connected to one another in a conventional manner, for exampleby gluing, sewing or by welding using heat or ultrasound. It is ofcourse also possible to fix the piece 625 to the liquid-permeablesurface layer 602 but this is to be seen as less advantageous as itwould have a negative effect on the liquid-admission capacity of thesanitary towel 601.

[0060] The attachment-means zones 620 a, 620 b, 620 c are arranged onthe fastening arrangements 613 a, 613 b, 613 c in a manner correspondingto that described in connection with FIG. 1.

[0061]FIG. 7 shows diagrammatically a plan view of a sanitary towel 701seen from the side which is intended to face the wearer during use. Thesanitary towel 701 shown in FIG. 7 can, for example, be of the typeshown in FIG. 1. What distinguishes the sanitary towel 701 from thatshown in FIG. 1 is that the fastening arrangements 713 a, 713 b arrangedon the front portion 709 constitute projecting portions of astrip-shaped piece 726 which is arranged on the front portion 709 of thesanitary towel 701 parallel to the transverse centre line 712. Thestrip-shaped piece 726 can have straight or curved long sides. Thestrip-shaped piece 726 is arranged on the liquid-impermeable surfacelayer 703. In this connection, the strip-shaped piece 726 is arranged sothat the fastening arrangements 713 a, 713 b will essentially extend incontinuation of the longitudinal side edges 705, 706 away from theremainder of the sanitary towel 701. This is brought about by virtue ofthe fact that, on fastening to the surface layer 703, the strip-shapedpiece 726 is folded in the region inside the side edges 705, 706 so thatthe front part 714 a, 714 b is folded up towards the front edge 707.Compared with the embodiment described in FIGS. 1 and 2, the embodimentin FIG. 7 results in simplified production of the sanitary towel 701 andalso reduces material waste in the case of transverse production of thesanitary towel 701. It is of course also possible to fix thestrip-shaped piece 726 to the liquid-permeable surface layer 702 butthis is to be seen as less advantageous because it would have a negativeeffect on the liquid-admission capacity of the sanitary towel 701.

[0062] The fastening arrangement 713 c arranged on the rear portion 710is fixed in a manner corresponding to that described in connection withFIG. 1. The attachment-means zones 720 a, 720 b, 720 c are arranged onthe fastening arrangements 713 a, 713 b, 713 c in a manner correspondingto that described in connection with FIG. 1.

[0063] Before use of the sanitary towels shown in the figures, theattachment-means zones are suitably protected in a conventional manner,for example by being covered by a protective layer of paper or plasticwhich has been treated with silicone or embossed so as to be removablewhen the sanitary towels are to be used. The attachment-means zones canof course be covered with any other suitable protection which is easy toremove.

[0064] The invention is not to be considered as being limited to theembodiments above. These are intended only to describe the invention.

[0065] It is possible to combine characteristics from differentembodiments, in particular different ways of arranging the fasteningarrangement on the product, with one another within the scope of theinvention. See, for example, FIGS. 1, 3, 6 and 7. Furthermore, the endof the front strip-shaped part of the fastening arrangement, in theregion of the short side, can of course be designed individually foreach of the fastening arrangements. Compare the triangle or drop shapedescribed previously. It is of course also possible to design thefastening arrangements individually so that one, two or all three areentirely or partly elastic or not elastic at all. Moreover, the sanitarytowels in FIGS. 1 and 3 have a different design in order to illustratethe possibility for variation within the scope of the invention. Withinthe scope of the invention, other shapes of the sanitary towel are ofcourse also possible provided the sanitary towel has a very narrow rearportion and a relatively wide front portion.

[0066] Although the invention has been described in connection with asanitary towel, it is of course also possible to apply the invention toa panty liner or an incontinence pad.

1. An absorbent product, such as a sanitary towel, a panty liner or anincontinence pad, having a longitudinal direction and a transversedirection and comprising a liquid-permeable surface layer (102), aliquid-impermeable surface layer (103), and an absorption body (104)arranged between the two surface layers (102, 103), the liquid-permeablesurface layer (102) being intended to face the body of a wearer duringuse, and the product also having two side edges (105, 106) in itslongitudinal direction, a front edge (107), a rear edge (108), a frontportion (109) and a rear portion (110), the product also comprisingfastening arrangements (113 a, 113 b, 113 c) comprising an adhesiveattachment-means zone (120 a, 120 b, 120 c) to be attached to the bodyof a wearer, characterized in that the product in its planar extensionis essentially triangular in shape with the front portion (109) beingwider than the rear portion (110), and in that two fasteningarrangements (113 a, 113 b; 313 a, 313 b) are arranged on the frontportion (109) of the product and one fastening arrangement (113 c) isarranged on the rear portion (110) of the product, said fasteningarrangements (113 a, 113 b, 113 c) each comprising a part (114 a, 114 b,114 c) which extends in the form of a strip from the periphery of theproduct and bears the adhesive attachment-means zone (120 a, 120 b, 120c).
 2. An absorbent product according to claim 1, in which the fasteningarrangements (113 a, 113 b) on the front portion (109) of the productare arranged in the region where the side edges (105, 106) of theproduct merge with the front edge (107) of the product.
 3. An absorbentproduct according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the fasteningarrangements (113 a, 113 b) on the front portion (109) of the productcan be seen as a continuation of the side edges (105, 106) of theproduct and have a shape which is curved away from a centre line (111)extending in the longitudinal direction of the product.
 4. An absorbentproduct according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the frontstrip-shaped part (114 a, 114 b) of the fastening arrangements (113 a,113 b) arranged on the front portion (109) of the product has a lengthof at least 20 mm.
 5. An absorbent product according to claim 1, inwhich the fastening arrangement (113 c) on the rear portion (110) of theproduct is arranged on the rear edge (108) of the product extending awayfrom the remainder of the product along an imaginary longitudinal centreline (111) of the product.
 6. An absorbent product according to claim 1or claim 5, in which the fastening arrangement (113 c) on the rearportion (110) of the product is essentially rectangular in shape.
 7. Anabsorbent product according to any one of claims 1, 5 or 6, in which thefront strip-shaped part (114 c) of the fastening arrangement (113 c)arranged on the rear portion (110) of the product has a length of atleast 50 mm.
 8. An absorbent product according to any one of thepreceding claims, in which the side edges (105, 106) of the product arecurved in the direction in towards the centre line (111) extending inthe longitudinal direction of the product.
 9. An absorbent productaccording to any one of the preceding claims, in which the product has awidth ratio in the transverse direction between the front portion (109)of the product and the rear portion (110) of the product which is2:1-4:1, the rear portion (110) of the product having, according to thepresent invention, a width which does not exceed 40 mm.
 10. An absorbentproduct according to any one of the preceding claims, in which thefastening arrangements (113 a, 113 b, 113 c; 513 c; 613 a, 613 b, 613 c;713 b, 713 c) are arranged on one of the surface layers (102, 103; 502,503; 602, 603; 702, 703).
 11. An absorbent product according to any oneof the preceding claims, in which at least one of the fasteningarrangements (313 a, 313 b, 313 c; 313 a′, 313 b′, 313 c′; 513 a, 513 b)comprises a portion of at least one surface layer (302, 303; 502, 503).12. An absorbent product according to any one of the preceding claims,in which the length of the product does not exceed 260 mm and preferablydoes not exceed 200 mm.
 13. An absorbent product according to any one ofthe preceding claims, in which the fastening arrangements (113 a, 113 b,113 c; 313 a, 313 b, 313 c; 313 a′, 313 b′, 313 c′; 513 a, 513 b, 513 c;613 a, 613 b, 613 c; 713 a, 713 b, 713 c) have a width which does notexceed 30 mm.
 14. An absorbent product according to any one of thepreceding claims, in which the fastening arrangements (113 a, 113 b; 313a, 313 b; 313 a′, 313 b′; 513 a, 513 b; 613 a, 613 b; 713 a, 713 b) onthe front portion (109, 309, 509, 609, 709) and the fasteningarrangement (113 c; 313 c; 313 c′; 513 c; 613 c; 713 c) on the rearportion (110, 310, 510, 610, 710) preferably have a width of 10-20 mmand, respectively, 15-25 mm.
 15. An absorbent product according to anyone of the preceding claims, in which the fastening arrangements (113 a,113 b, 113 c; 313 a, 313 b, 313 c; 313 a′, 313 b′, 313 c′; 513 a, 513 b,513 c; 613 a, 613 b, 613 c; 713 a, 713 b, 713 c) consist of non-wovenmaterial.
 16. An absorbent product according to any one of the precedingclaims, in which the fastening arrangements (513 c) are entirely orpartly elastic.
 17. An absorbent product according to any one of thepreceding claims, in which the attachment-means zone (120 a, 120 b, 120c) is arranged at a distance from the sides (116 a, 116 b, 116 c, 118 a,118 b, 118 c, 119 a, 119 b, 119 c) of the fastening arrangement (113 a,113 b, 113 c).